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Community calendar | MIPA Toy Swap is Saturday

The annual toy swap sponsored by the Mercer Island Preschool Association is Saturday, Nov. 12, at Islander Middle School. The swap is a giant consignment sale of gently used toys, children's clothing and equipment. A portion of the proceeds supports MIPA charities and operations.﻿ The doors open at 9 a.m. MIPA members can enter as early as 8:45 a.m. Hours are 9-11 a.m., and the half price sale is from 12 to 1 p.m. Islander Middle School is located at 8225 S.E. 72nd Street. For more information, go to www.mipreschoolassociation.org/events.

Thursday | 10

Grief & Loss Support Group: 1-2:30 p.m., Nov. 10, Community and Event Center, 8236 S.E. 24th Street. Open to any senior adult who has experienced the loss of a spouse, partner, friend or family member. This group is strictly confidential. Free. Facilitator: Betsy Zuber, Youth & Family Services geriatric specialist. Registration required. Contact: (206) 275-7752 or betsy.zuber@mercergov.org.

Veterans Day School’s Out Camp: 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Nov. 10-11, Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way. Welcoming all K-5th graders. Features play in the gym, swimming, interactive art projects and more. Please make sure to pack a swim suit for the pool. Morning and afternoon care are available. www.sjcc.org.

Veterans Day Celebration: 4:30 and 6 p.m., Nov. 11, community toast to veterans, Roanoke Inn, 1825 72nd Ave. S.E. $1 pints all day: Budweiser and Coors Light in appreciation for the men and women who have served our country.

EarthCorps Volunteer Event: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Clarke Beach, 7700 East Mercer Way. Join EarthCorps, Mercer Island Parks and Recreation and community members working to save this Mercer Island park. Remove invasive plants so that additional trees can planted as part of a bald eagle habitat mitigation project. For more information and to sign up in advance, go to: http://www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php.

Saturday Matinee: “Woman of the Year” (George Stevens, 1942), 1 p.m., Nov. 12, Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave. S.E. Part of the “Mercer Island Public Library Film Series on Newspapers and Other Media,” with Lance Rhoades, Mercer Island Movie Matinee Series program director.

Diwali (Festival of Lights) Celebration 2011: 5-11 p.m., Nov. 12, Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave. S.E. Tickets: only available online at www.sulekha.com/tickets (click on ‘Seattle’). Prices: $15 (adults), $8 (child 5–12), free for children 4 and under. Tickets are limited and must be purchased through Sulekha.com by Nov. 8. Tickets will not be sold at the event. Nonperishable food donations for YFS food bank accepted.

Photographer/author Phil Borges at Island Books: 7 p.m., Nov. 12, Island Books, 3014 78th Ave. S.E. Borges is the author of “Tibet: A Culture on the Edge.” He is the recipient of numerous photography and humanitarian awards. He has hosted television documentaries for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. www.mercerislandbooks.com.

Monday | 14

Infant/Child/Adult CPR with AED: 7-9 p.m., Nov. 14, Mercer Island Fire Station, 3030 78th Avenue S.E. This is not a health care provider class. $15 (check or cash the day of the event). Call (206) 275-7607 to reserve a space.

Breakfast with Santa: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Dec. 3, Community and Event Center, 8236 S.E. 24th Street. Register your family for Breakfast with Santa. Brunch is provided, and Santa and his elves will be available for a visit and photos. Reservations are required. Fee: $7 plus tax ($5 per child). (206) 275-7609.

Library

STARS Workshop - Growing Your Preschooler’s Brain: 7 p.m., Nov. 14. Presented by Kathy Slattengren. Find out how you can help your child develop the social skills, language skills and behavior traits that will lead to success in grade school. For parents and child care providers who care for children ages 1 to 5.

Rick Steves’ Travel Series: Mediterranean Cruises 101, 7 p.m., Nov. 16. Based on Rick’s new guidebook, this class teaches you how to take a Mediterranean cruise “through the Back Door.” Get a port-by-port rundown of the top Mediterranean cruise destinations, with tips on how to get into town and make the most of your limited time. The rest of the class is an introduction to cruising for first-timers.

Story Time for Terrific Twos and Threes: 11 a.m., Wednesdays, through Nov. 23. Ages 2 to 3 with adult.

Teens

Online Teen Readers: Wonder what other teens in the area are reading? Online Teen Readers are teens reading and talking about books on their own schedule: online.blogs.kcls.org/onlineteenreaders.

Write to Win College Applications: 7 p.m., Nov. 15. Presented by Jonathan Brown. Learn practical strategies to put together a winning application, find out what colleges are looking for when they evaluate essays, and get ideas on how to generate a narrative that will get you noticed. Please register.

Finding the Right College: 7 p.m., Nov. 17. Learn how to weigh different factors — like size, location and majors — to determine if a college is right for you.

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